Year of the Snake
蛇 Shé
The Snake is the sixth animal of the Chinese zodiac and the sign of wisdom. In Chinese tradition, people born in a Snake year are seen as intuitive, composed and private, with a talent for planning and a habit of keeping their thoughts to themselves.
- wise
- intuitive
- composed
- private
- determined
- elegant
Are You a Snake?
Enter your birth date to check, down to the exact Lunar New Year.
Month and day are optional. Add them if you were born in January or February. See January and February Chinese zodiac.
Snake at a Glance
- Order
- 6th of 12
- Chinese
- 蛇 shé, branch 巳 sì
- Yin or Yang
- Yin
- Own element
- Fire
- Best matches
- Ox, Rooster, Monkey
- Clashes with
- Pig
- Recent years
- 2001, 2013, 2025
Snake Zodiac Years
A Snake year comes every 12 years and begins on Lunar New Year, between January 21 and February 20. Born in January or early February? Compare your birthday with the start date. If it came first, you belong to the sign before: the Dragon.
- 1905Wood SnakeFeb 4, 1905 to Jan 24, 1906
- 1917Fire SnakeJan 23, 1917 to Feb 10, 1918
- 1929Earth SnakeFeb 10, 1929 to Jan 29, 1930
- 1941Metal SnakeJan 27, 1941 to Feb 14, 1942
- 1953 Chinese zodiacWater SnakeFeb 14, 1953 to Feb 2, 1954
- 1965 Chinese zodiacWood SnakeFeb 2, 1965 to Jan 20, 1966
- 1977 Chinese zodiacFire SnakeFeb 18, 1977 to Feb 6, 1978
- 1989 Chinese zodiacEarth SnakeFeb 6, 1989 to Jan 26, 1990
- 2001 Chinese zodiacMetal SnakeJan 24, 2001 to Feb 11, 2002
- 2013 Chinese zodiacWater SnakeFeb 10, 2013 to Jan 30, 2014
- 2025 Chinese zodiacWood SnakeJan 29, 2025 to Feb 16, 2026
Snake Zodiac Personality and Traits
In Chinese tradition the Snake is wise, intuitive and composed. Snakes watch first and act later, and they tend to know more than they say. The same reserve can make them secretive and slow to trust.
Strengths
- Insight. Reads people and situations quickly.
- Composure. Stays calm when others panic.
- Focus. Works toward a goal without announcing it.
- Judgment. Weighs the options before committing.
- Style. Has an easy elegance and good taste.
Weaknesses
- Secrecy. Keeps plans and feelings close, even from friends.
- Suspicion. Slow to trust and quick to notice slights.
- Possessiveness. Holds tightly to people and things.
- Perfectionism. Hard on itself and on others.
- Grudges. Rarely forgets a betrayal.
The Snake Man and the Snake Woman
These are sketches from tradition, not rules.
The Snake Man
The Snake man is pictured as calm, strategic and quietly charming. He is a good listener who lets others talk, then says the one thing that matters. He needs to learn that sharing a worry is not a weakness.
The Snake Woman
The Snake woman is described as graceful, perceptive and independent. She is private about her inner life and loyal to the few people she lets close. She can be hard to read, and she dislikes being rushed.
Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water Snakes
The last digit of your birth year sets your element, which is different from the Snake’s own element (always Fire). Born in January or early February? If your birthday came before Lunar New Year, use the year before. The cycle repeats every 60 years.
Wood Snake
Years ending in 4 or 51905, 1965, 2025
Wood makes the Snake more open than its relatives. Said to be creative, flexible and happier sharing ideas, though still careful about whom to trust.
Fire Snake
Years ending in 6 or 71917, 1977
Fire is the Snake’s own element. The Fire Snake is described as the most intense and driven of the five: charismatic, strong-willed and slow to let go of a goal.
Earth Snake
Years ending in 8 or 91929, 1989
Earth steadies the Snake. Patient and practical, it builds slowly, keeps its promises and prefers a plan it can follow to one that looks impressive.
Metal Snake
Years ending in 0 or 11941, 2001
Metal sharpens the Snake. Disciplined, ambitious and exacting, the Metal Snake is pictured as the most demanding of the five, with a mind that misses little.
Water Snake
Years ending in 2 or 31953, 2013
Water deepens the Snake’s intuition. Calm and adaptable, the Water Snake is said to be the best listener of the five and the most at ease with change.
Snake Compatibility: Best and Worst Matches
Tradition gives the Snake three best matches: the Ox and Rooster, its trine group, and the Monkey, its Secret Friend. The hardest are the Pig, directly opposite on the zodiac wheel, and the Tiger, a harm pair. These come from fixed rules, not opinion.
Best Matches
- OxSame trine group 三合Ox and Snake compatibility
- RoosterSame trine group 三合Snake and Rooster compatibility
- MonkeySecret Friend 六合Snake and Monkey compatibility
Hardest Matches
- PigOpposite sign (clash) 六冲
- TigerHarm pair 六害Tiger and Snake compatibility
Ox and Rooster
Same trine group. The Ox’s steadiness and the Rooster’s precision suit the Snake’s careful, patient way of working.
Monkey
The Snake’s Secret Friend, a traditional natural ally. Both are quick-witted, and each respects the other’s cleverness.
Pig
Opposite the Snake on the wheel, a clash. The Pig is open and easygoing, the Snake private and guarded, so the two often misread each other.
Tiger
A harm pair. The Snake prefers to wait and plan while the Tiger charges ahead, and each finds the other hard to trust.
The Snake in 2026 and 2027
For the full forecast, see the Snake horoscope for 2027 and the 2027 Year of the Goat.
2026, the Fire Horse Year
The Horse has no formal link to the Snake in the traditional rules, so 2026 is read as neutral. It rewards steady effort over big gambles.
2027, the Fire Goat Year
The Goat has no special link to the Snake either. Tradition reads 2027 as a settled year, good for finishing what 2026 started.
The Snake in Chinese Culture: Meaning and Symbols
The Snake’s place in the zodiac comes from the Great Race, the legend that set the order of the 12 animals. In a popular version the Snake hid in the Horse’s hoof, slipped out near the finish and startled the Horse, taking sixth place.
The Little Dragon
In Chinese folk speech the snake is sometimes called the little dragon (小龙, xiǎolóng), a sign of respect. The Dragon and the Snake are neighbors in the zodiac.
The Legend of the White Snake
One of China’s best-known folk tales tells of a snake spirit who takes human form and falls in love with a mortal. It shows the snake as a clever and loyal figure, not a villain.
The Fourth Month and the Late Morning
The Snake’s earthly branch, 巳 (sì), marks the fourth month of the traditional solar calendar, which starts around May 5, and the hours from 9 to 11 in the morning.
Not a Sign of Bad Luck
Western readers sometimes assume the snake is a menacing symbol. In the zodiac it stands for wisdom and grace.
Snake Career, Money and Health
Traditional advice for the Snake is the same in every area: trust the instincts, and let other people in a little more.
Career
Snakes do best in work that rewards research, strategy and discretion: finance, law, medicine, writing, design and analysis. Noisy, constant-contact roles can drain them.
Money
Tradition credits the Snake with a good head for money and a talent for patient investing. A useful habit is to ask for a second opinion before committing to anything you cannot explain simply.
Health
Snakes are described as calm outside and tense inside. Tradition links the Snake’s Fire element with the heart and with sleep. That is cultural symbolism, not medical advice. Quiet time and regular rest help most.
Snake Zodiac FAQ
What years are the Year of the Snake?
Snake years include 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013 and 2025. Each Snake year begins on Lunar New Year, so check the exact dates if you were born in January or February.
I was born in January 2013. Am I a Snake?
No. Lunar New Year 2013 fell on February 10, so births before that date belong to the Dragon year that began in 2012. From February 10, 2013 on, you are a Snake.
Is the Snake an unlucky sign?
No. In Chinese culture the snake is linked with wisdom and is sometimes called the little dragon. Tradition describes Snakes as thoughtful and resourceful, and nothing in it marks the sign as unlucky.
What is the Snake's enemy sign?
The Pig. It sits opposite the Snake on the zodiac wheel, a pairing tradition calls a clash. The Tiger is the other hard match, a harm pair. Both point to friction in style, not a ban on friendship or marriage.
Who should a Snake marry?
Tradition favors the Monkey, Ox and Rooster. The Ox and Rooster share the Snake's trine group, and the Monkey is its Secret Friend. The Pig and Tiger are harder. Real couples depend more on the two people than on their signs.
Is 2026 a good year for the Snake?
It is usually read as a neutral year. The Horse has no formal link to the Snake in the traditional rules, so the year is neither helped nor hindered. It rewards steady work over big gambles.